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I live in North County San Diego and I have no kiln. I have many years experience in Pottery but my little studio in the garage of my rented condo is no place for a kiln. Not to mention no permission from the rental office. I have a wheel and a slab roller and the studio is cram packed with unfired cone 6 and cone 10 small pieces. I am currently enrolled in the local college so I can fire but I am restricted to their clay and glazes. I have searched for a workshop in the area but haven't found one yet. Or even better would be someone with a small studio that could use another potter to share the cost of firing. My email is darthehues at sign gmail dot com. Thanks

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The fuel cost is only a small part of the real costs to fire a kiln. Anyone who charges their firing fees based solely on the costs for fuel is losing money rapidly. R+M and depreciation is an important component. And if that firing fee includes ANY labor to actruall load or fire the kiln....... the real costs skyrocket. SKILLED craftspeoplel's time is worth a lot when burger flipper start at $10 an hour and minimum wage is $7.50 an hour.

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you must get your clay somewhere. ask them for any notices posted about local classes or such given by individuals. or, may i suggest you check the yellow pages for suppliers, ask each of them if they have a bulletin board, post the problem there, and maybe you will find someone who wants help in their studio in exchange for firing. i know it sounds old fashioned, (even the phrase old fashioned is out of fashion) but maybe that is just what you need. find a potters guild. talk to potters you see at fairs or sales events. check out whether there is an empty bowl event, find other potters!

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The fuel cost is only a small part of the real costs to fire a kiln. Anyone who charges their firing fees based solely on the costs for fuel is losing money rapidly. R+M and depreciation is an important component. And if that firing fee includes ANY labor to actruall load or fire the kiln....... the real costs skyrocket. SKILLED craftspeoplel's time is worth a lot when burger flipper start at $10 an hour and minimum wage is $7.50 an hour.

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I realize this post is a few years old, but I'd love if anyone can recommend a place to fire in North County San Diego. I fire Cone 10 and have noticed that a lot of local and production places in the area do a lot more terra cotta and primarily low fire firings. I'm looking into buying a gas kiln but until then, I'd love to fire elsewhere.

I'm also curious if anyone would be interested in renting kiln space once I get one? I'm located in Vista, North County SD.